25 May Meet Marc – Our Favourite Belgian Export

Following that ‘gut feeling’ is what this relaxed and friendly guy does best! It led Marc to Canada to raise his family and it’s leading him and his wife on a trip of a lifetime.

How did your journey start at Muskoka?

I moved to Muskoka from Belgium in 2008. My daughter was friends with Gary’s daughter, so we met a few times and always chatted about beer, work and life. I started at the brewery in 2011 in the packaging department and have been here ever since. A brewery is a really great place to work – everyone is always happy and smiling!

What brought you to Canada?

My wife and I had a gut feeling about Canada. It’s a beautiful country with so much nature but also so many cities and towns. We applied for a visa in 2004, got it in 2008 and moved shortly after. We knew it would be a great place to raise a family.

Why did you chose to move to the Muskoka region?

We spent some time in Toronto, but knew we wanted to to go north. We heard great things about Muskoka and got that gut feeling again, so just went with it. We’ve been here for almost 10 years now and love it. I can’t imagine raising my kids in a better place.

What’s your favourite thing about living in Canada?

Canada is such a relaxing country. People are so friendly, especially in Muskoka. Where we were living in Belgium, it was always people rushing places and everything was so crowded. Here, there’s so much nature and time to explore everything.

How do you strive to venture off the beaten path?

My wife and I are going to do some travelling in September. We started planning and talking about this trip in 2004, when we were still living in Belgium. We haven’t set a timeline or mapped out a route, but we know that we want to start driving and tour North America then fly over to Europe. It will be amazing to travel and eventually get to Belgium to see our family.

How will you keep us updated on your adventures?

We plan on blogging about it the whole time! I chose the name Living Off The Beaten Path for my blog (launching soon), because I need to keep a little bit of Muskoka with me at all times.

7 Fast Facts about Marc

Cream Ale is his favourite Muskoka brew

Marc once completed a 100km Belgian walking challenge in 24 hours

He loves spending time in the great outdoors and exploring nature

He’s thrilled that beer is now sold in grocery stores and is more accessible

Marc has an online business that keeps him busy in his spare time

He’s planning on getting his Canadian Citizenship and can’t wait to learn more about Canadian history

He misses two big things from Belgium – family and food!

What his Muskoka friends say about say …

He’s unbelievable, kind, caring and considerate. He’s patient and explains things well. Marc is very intelligent. If he doesn’t know how to do something he’ll come back tomorrow and have it figured out. He figured out how to operate our bottle washer and other machinery without instructions. Give him a box of nuts and bolts and he’ll build something.

Simone Lemay

Marc’s a laidback, happy-go-lucky kind of guy. He’s always whistling and talks about home a lot. He’s just such an awesome guy.